Cattle-stanchion.



A. J. BUTLER.

CATTLE STANGHION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1913.

1,095,703. Patnted May 5, 1914.

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ALFRED J. BUTLER, 0F CHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CATTLE-STANCHION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914..

Application filed March 28, 1913. Serial No. 757,283.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED J. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlestown, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Stanchions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cattle stanchions and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and durable stanchion which may be opened to such an extent that there will be no danger of the cattle putting their heads into the wrong place when entering the stall.

The object is still further to provide means for facilitating the release of the cattle held thereby.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts whereby the above objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stall embodying my invention with the curb of the stall shown in section, the supporting frame for said stanchion being broken away to save space in the drawings, and a portion of the head piece removed to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the stanchion illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken (on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. e is a detail section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents the uprights and 6 the cross-pieces constituting a stanchion supporting frame, preferably formed of tubing, the lower ends of said uprights being embedded in a concrete curb 7. To each of the cross-pieces 6 is secured a support 8, preferably formed in two parts 9 and 10 which are clamped to said cross-piece by bolts 11 arranged above and below said cross piece. From the support 8 is suspended a head piece 12 by means of a stud 13 extending upwardly from midlength of said head piece 12 and through a vertically disposed hole 1% adjacent the lower end of said support, while means are provided on said stud to retain the same in contact with said support, said means being hereinafter more fully described. The head piece 12 comprises a pair of similarly formed parallelly disposed members 15 and 16 provided with separating lugs 17 and 18 on said members respectively, said lugs extending inwardly toward each other and abutting midway of the space 19 formed thereby, while bolts extend through said lugs and preferably secure said parallelly disposed members together. By this construction expense of manufacturing will be greatly reduced by reason of the fact'that said members are, as hereinbefore stated, similarly formed and therefore adapted to be cast in molds made from the same pattern.

The stud 13 is preferably square in cross section at its lower end 20 and is adapted to fit between the members 15 and 16 intermediate the ends thereof and is secured therein by a bolt 21. Side bars 22 are suspended from said head piece between the members 15 and 16, one upon each side of the stud 13, said side bars having lugs 23 at their upper ends projecting laterally from'opposite sides of said bars andadapted to engage the upper edges 24 and 25 of the members 15 and 16 respectively. Means are provided to lock said bars vertically suspended on said head piece, preferably consisting of latches 26 pivoted at 27 to the head piece 12, one of said latches being pro vided upon each side of the stud 13' with the pivots 27 thereof arranged in close proximity to said stud. Each of said latches is provided at its outer free end with a tooth 28 adapted to engage a tooth29 formed adjacent the upper end of each of the side bars 22, the upper face of the tooth 29 being beveled while the under face of the tooth 28 is beveled to permit said teeth to automatically engage each other when shoved together.

The lower ends of the side bars 22 arevpivotally connected at 30 to a spreader 31 which is anchored by means of links 32 in the concrete curb 7, said links permitting a free oscillating movement of the spreader 31. The distance between the pivots 30 is substantially the same as the distance between the center of the upper ends of the side bars 22, when said side bars are locked in their uppermost or inner positions relatively to the head piece 12, thereby suspending said side bars vertically from said head piece and in this position the cattle will be locked therebetween. \Vhen it is desired to free the cattle from said stanchion, the upper ends of said side bars are released by means of the finger pieces 33 upon the inner ends of the latches 26, said linger pieces extending upwardly from said latches in close proximity to the stud l3 and near enough together to permit both to be engaged simultaneously by the fingers of one hand and pressed toward each other to rock the latches 26 upon the pivots 27 and thereby disengage the teeth 28 from the teeth 29.

To facilitate the freeing of the cattle means are provided to cause said bars to automatically assume their inclined positions upon being released by said latches and these means include inclined surfaces 011 said side members 15 and 16, preferably upon their upper edges 24: and 25 which are engaged by the lugs 23, the weight of the parts supported by said lugs being sufficient to cause said lugs to slide downwardly on said head piece from their positions illustrated in full lines Fig. l to those illustrated in dotted lines in said figure. The first parts of said inclined surfaces preferably curve sharply downwardly as at 34'. causing said lugs to start quickly, while the latter portions 35 of said inclined surfaces are slightly curved in a reverse direction from the portions 3d and are substantially horizontally disposed, thus tending to check the lateral movements of said side bars as they approach the outer ends of the members 15 and 16 where they are finally brought to a stop against the separating lugs 17 and 18 in which positions they are retained by their own weight and providing a substantial opening therebetween .to permit the cattle to insert their heads therethrough.

It is very often the case that the cattle leave the stanchions swung at various angles relatively to the plane containing the sup ports 5. It is quite essential that said stanchions be returned to their proper positions, that is to say, with the side bars 22 in alinement with the supports 5 and to insure this the stud 13 is provided with a transversely disposed member 36, the ends of which project beyond opposite sides of said stud and normally recline toward the bottom of a groove 37 formed in the lower end of the support 8, while extending upwardly from said transverse member is a lip 38, which extends longitudinally of said transverse member and at one side of the median axial line thereof. Upon the rotation of the stud 13 in the support 8 the opposite ends of the transversely disposed member 36 engage opposite sides of the groove 37 and gradually draw said stud upwardly causing the lip 38 to engage the projection 39 formed upon the support 8. By arranging the lip 38 at one side of the median axial line of said member 36 said stud 13 may be rotated in either direction and still permit the same to move through an arc of substantially 90 from its normal position, or a total of 180 from one side to the other. This movement permits the cattle to swing their heads from one side to the other without resistance, it being seldom that they attempt to move them more than the 90. The entire pivotal movement of the stud 13 is not sufiicient to carry the ends of the transverse member 36 to such a distance that they will not have a tendency, owing to the inclined edges of the groove 37, to return to their normal positions at the bottom of said groove.

Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a cattle stanchion, a support, a head piece sustained by said support comprising a pair of parallelly disposed members, a stud extending upwardly from midlength of said members to pivotally engage said support, side bars suspended between said members, one upon each side "of said stud,

lugs projecting laterally from opposite sides of said bars adapted to engage the upper edges of said parallelly disposed members, said upper edges curving downwardly and terminatino in reverse curves, means to lock said side liars vertically suspended from said head piece, and means adapted to simultaneously unlock said side bars, said curved edges adapted to cause said side bars to automatically assume oppositely inclined positions upon being unlocked by said locking means.

2. In a cattle stanchion, a support, a head piece sustained by said support comprising a pair of similarly formed parallelly disposed members provided with separating lugs extending inwardly toward each other and abut-ting midway of the space formed thereby, a stud extending upwardly from midlength of said members to pivotally engage said support, side bars disposed between said members adapted to be moved from vertical suspended positions to inclined suspended positions, latches on said head piece adapted to engage the upper ends respectively of said side bars and lock said bars in their vertically suspended positions, and finger pieces for said latches arranged upon opposite sides of and in close proximity to said stud adapted to be simultaneously moved toward each other to unlock said side bars whereby said side bars may be moved to their inclined positions.

3. In a cattle stanchion, a head piece pivotally suspended, at midlength thereof, comprising a pair of parallelly disposed members arranged at a distance from each other, side bars suspended between said members one upon each side of the pivot thereof, adapted to be moved longitudinally of said head piece from vertically suspended positions to inclined suspended positions, and

means adapted to automatically move said side bars from said vertical to said inclined positions, said means including lugs projecting from opposite sides of said bars respectively and cooperating with reversely curved surfaces on said parallel members, the first portions of said curves being more sharply inclined than the lower portions thereof, whereby said bars will be started quickly and be gradually retarded in the movements thereof from their vertical to their inclined positions.

4. In a cattle stanchion, a head piece pivotally suspended at midlength thereof, comprising a pair of parallelly disposed members arranged at a distance from each other, side bars suspended between said members one upon each side of the pivot thereof, adapted to be moved longitudinally of said head piece from vertically suspended positions to inclined suspended positions, and

means adapted to automatically move said side bars from said vertical to said inclined positions, said means including lugs projecting from opposite sides of said bars respectively and cooperating with reversely curved surfaces on said parallel members, the beginning of said curves being sharply inclined downwardly while the latter portions of said curves are substantially horizontally disposed, whereby said bars will be started quickly and be gradually retarded in the movements thereof from their vertical to their inclined positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED J. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

FRANKLIN E. Low, SYDNEY E. TAFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

